Multiple grip wrench



Sept 6, 1960 A. ENGQUlsT 2,951,405

MULTIPLE GRIP WRENCH Filed NOV. 26, 1958 A/l/iA/ro l HRM/s' Arda u/.fr

a* MM2/'IM United States Patent O MULTIPLE GRIP WRENCH Arne Engqust,Enkoping, Sweden, assignor to Aktebolaget Bahco, Stockholm, Sweden, acorporation of Weden Filed Nov. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 776,565

Claims priority, application Sweden Dec. 9, 1957 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-53)The present invention relates to an improvement in wrenches of the typecomprising a shank one or both ends of which are forked and whichcarries two or more pivotally mounted gripping members between the armsof each fork. Such gripping members may consi-st of solid studs ofpolygonal (such as hexagonal) circumference to tighten bolts or screwsAhaving a correspondingly recessed head or to tighten screws with usualheads by the aid of a socket fitted over the gripping stud. The grippingmembers may also be formed as sockets with a polygonal inner wall sothat screws with usual polygonal heads may be tightened Without the useof a separate socket. The gripping members may' also be formed asscrew-drivers, e.g. as screw-drivers of the type adapted to tightenscrews the head of which have a cross-shaped recess.

Due to the forked structure the shank end is to a certain extentweakened, so that the fork arms are subjected to severe breakingstresses in spite of the fact that they are connected by a bolt for thepivotal mounting of the gripping members. To reduce such stresses'theorifice defined by the fork arms is formed in each fork with a widthdecreasing by steps towards the inner end of the oriiice and the lengthof the gripping members are so chosen in accordance therewith that agripping member can iill completely a portion of the oriiice whenanother gripping member is in its operative position. Thereby, thegripping member situated in the orice will largely relieve the fork armsof stresses.

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to theembodiments shown on the accompanying drawing where the gripping membersare shown as gripping studs of hexagonal cross-section.

Figures l and 2 illustrate one embodiment in two different elevations.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing two gripping studs rigidly joined toeach other.

Figure 4 is a cross-section taken along line IV--IV in Figure 2.

Figure 5 illustrates a second embodiment in elevation.

Figure 6 is a cross-section taken along line VI--VI in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1-4, the numeral 1 designates the shank of thewrench and 2 and 3 are its two forked ends. 4 and 5 are the fork armsyand 6 and 7 the oriiices deiined by the fork arms. In this embodimentthere are two gripping studs 8, 9 and 10, 11, respectively, in eachshank end, the two studs in each pair being formed integrally with amounting member 12 and 13 respectively. The studs in each pair are atright angles to each other and the mounting member 12 or 13 is providedwith a bore for a bolt 14 extending through the fork arms. As seen inFigures 1 and 2, each stud is so dimensioned relatively to its forkoriiice that when sit- Patented Sept. 6, 1960 ICC uated in said oriiiceit forms a supporting body, which when the other gripping stud is in itsoperative position takes up part of the load and relieves the arms ofbreaking stresses or at least gives the breaking stresses a smallerlever arm. It has been found inadequate to rely entirely on the bolt 14since it cannot be given a reliable size without giving the fork arms anotherwise unnecessarily large width. To achieve this strengtheningaction independent of the width of the gripping stud located in the forkorifice, a narrower gripping stud is formed longer than a wider one andthe fork oriiice is formed with a width correspondingly decreasing bysteps toward its inner ends so that each stud will always fillcompletely a longitudinal section of the fork orifice. As shown inFigure 4, a friction washer 15 is inserted bctween the mounting member12 or 13 and one fork arm, so that the gripping studs will not be swungunintentionally from one to the other position.

The embodiment of Figures 5 and 6 differs from that described above onlyin that the two gripping studs 16 and 17 at each end of the wrench 1 areindependently pivoted. The mounting member 1S of the stud 16 is forked,while the mounting member 19 of the other stud 17 is inserted betweenthe arms of the forked mounting member 18. Furthermore, a frictionalwasher 20 is inserted between the outer side of the mounting member 18and one fork arm 5 and another frictional washer 21 is inserted betweenthe mounting member 19 and the inner side of the mounting member 1S.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and describedwhich are capable of many variations and modifications without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising, in Combination, a shank having at least onebifurcated end defining a pair of spaced fork arms, a rigidly connectedright angularly disposed pair of gripping members of different widthsand lengths pivoted between the fork arms of said bifurcated end of saidshank, the wider gripping member having the shorter length, pivot meanssupporting said gripping members between said fork arms for rotationabout an axis v extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of saidshank, the distance between said fork arms decreasing by stepslongitudinally inwardly of said shank to dene a plurality oflongitudinally' stepped sections, each one of said stepped 4sectionscorresponding to the size and shape of one of said gripping members andslidably receiving said respective gripping members therewithin intorque transmitting relationship between said shank and each of saidgripping members of the set.

2. A wrench as set forth in claim l, wherein torque is transmitted to agripping member from said shank through the other one of said grippingmembers.

3. A wrench as in claim 1 in which said gripping members vareindependently pivoted.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS770,574 Halstead et al Sept, 20, 1904 1,115,215 Kuhns Oct. 27, 19141,168,204 Helstrom Ian. 1l, 1916 1,702,148 Breseman Feb. 12, 19292,834,237 Renoux May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 496,001 Italy June 30,1954 1,015,282 France July 2, 1952

